Making Summer Memories

Loveys, it's cloudy here and I'm on my second cup of coffee. We've got family in town visiting and the Jeffster has taken them white water rafting at the moment, so I'm just here with the kids, hoping everyone stays in the raft and there are no unexpected splashes into the river. My awesome friend Danielle texted me the recipe to this dessert she introduced me to--churro cheesecake--and it's fabulous (not even exaggerating a little bit) and I want to make it for our company tonight. So I'm wondering, reasonably, when I can make it. Not too soon, because the minute it's ready, I'm going to want to break into that thing. This girl is low on self control. One of the awesome things about having people come visit is getting to do all the touristy things in Colorado that we don't normally do. Canyons and rivers and Evergreens and breweries and 16th Street--it's fun to explore where we live.

(Seriously, in the above photo, I'm not even sure you can see the two tiny humans swinging in this canyon. One of the tiny humans is related to me.)

We've done these things before, but not in a long while and it's great to have a reason to do it. And seeing the sights always reminds me that there's magic where we live, if we take time to explore it. Everywhere we go, there's something special, every place we visit. I just got back from Texas and, I think, because I'm not there often and I miss it, when I am there, it's so special to me. It's always magic. For all of us, wherever we are, I think there's something to explore. (Also, my cousin has introduced my kids to geocaching. I have a feeling this might be a permanent situation around here.) There are things to see, but something about being with people you love makes exploring even more special.

We've been so blessed to have extra time with family this summer. I love it. There's carne asada in the crockpot right now and a slew of sweet potatoes on the counter, to go in the oven later. (Though I've warned my company to lower their expectations. We've got legit cooks in this family, loveys. For real. Brandy Bruce is not one of them. Every meal I've made so far has been new for them! I'm actually hoping that's helping me.)

I'm always reminded that spending time together glues us together in these ways that I love, that last even when we're apart. We spent all day yesterday in downtown Denver, taking turns holding Lily and pushing the stroller and taking pictures and holding hands with the kids. And by the end of it, you're just glued together a little bit more. Fun moments. Stressful moments (these happen when backing up and parking in the city are parts of my life. And Victor has to jump in and do this for me). Moments like all of us going into Union Station and all of us wishing it was actually Platform 9 3/4 from Harry Potter (love these people). Small things like eating breakfast together every morning or getting excited to watch Game of Thrones together.

Family in my house.

Sharing what we have with each other.

So it's been good over here. I'll be sad when they go and we'll miss each other until the next time. But these summer memories are good ones. Cable car rides over massive canyons, city shenanigans, water rafting, castles and trails and pizza and even helicopter rides. And lots of moments just being family together. On one of our car rides somewhere, Victor and I talked and reminisced about our childhoods--times at grandma's house and that sort of thing. And right now, I was thinking that these special moments with cousins are memories that will stay with my kids forever.

I can't believe there are already school supplies in the stores, reminding me that summer goes too fast and the school year is long. But we've got some time left and we'll try to make it last as long as possible.

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About Me

Brandy Bruce is the author of Looks Like Love, The Romano Family Collection, and the award-winning novel The Last Summer. She's worked in the publishing industry as a book editor for more than a decade. Brandy is a wife, a mother to three amazing children, and she's someone who really loves dessert. Stop by any time to hear about life, love, motherhood, writing, books, and more!